diff --git a/src/libxl/libxl_conf.c b/src/libxl/libxl_conf.c
index a0fc51c74a..6398129195 100644
--- a/src/libxl/libxl_conf.c
+++ b/src/libxl/libxl_conf.c
@@ -1775,10 +1775,9 @@ libxlDriverConfigInit(libxlDriverConfig *cfg)
     uint64_t free_mem;
 
     if (g_mkdir_with_parents(cfg->logDir, 0777) < 0) {
-        virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
-                       _("failed to create log dir '%s': %s"),
-                       cfg->logDir,
-                       g_strerror(errno));
+        virReportSystemError(errno,
+                             _("failed to create log dir '%s'"),
+                             cfg->logDir);
         return -1;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/libxl/libxl_driver.c b/src/libxl/libxl_driver.c
index 01f281d0a5..5d76eb9752 100644
--- a/src/libxl/libxl_driver.c
+++ b/src/libxl/libxl_driver.c
@@ -721,38 +721,33 @@ libxlStateInitialize(bool privileged,
 
     libxl_driver->config = cfg;
     if (g_mkdir_with_parents(cfg->stateDir, 0777) < 0) {
-        virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
-                       _("failed to create state dir '%s': %s"),
-                       cfg->stateDir,
-                       g_strerror(errno));
+        virReportSystemError(errno,
+                             _("failed to create state dir '%s'"),
+                             cfg->stateDir);
         goto error;
     }
     if (g_mkdir_with_parents(cfg->libDir, 0777) < 0) {
-        virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
-                       _("failed to create lib dir '%s': %s"),
-                       cfg->libDir,
-                       g_strerror(errno));
+        virReportSystemError(errno,
+                             _("failed to create lib dir '%s'"),
+                             cfg->libDir);
         goto error;
     }
     if (g_mkdir_with_parents(cfg->saveDir, 0777) < 0) {
-        virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
-                       _("failed to create save dir '%s': %s"),
-                       cfg->saveDir,
-                       g_strerror(errno));
+        virReportSystemError(errno,
+                             _("failed to create save dir '%s'"),
+                             cfg->saveDir);
         goto error;
     }
     if (g_mkdir_with_parents(cfg->autoDumpDir, 0777) < 0) {
-        virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
-                       _("failed to create dump dir '%s': %s"),
-                       cfg->autoDumpDir,
-                       g_strerror(errno));
+        virReportSystemError(errno,
+                             _("failed to create dump dir '%s'"),
+                             cfg->autoDumpDir);
         goto error;
     }
     if (g_mkdir_with_parents(cfg->channelDir, 0777) < 0) {
-        virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
-                       _("failed to create channel dir '%s': %s"),
-                       cfg->channelDir,
-                       g_strerror(errno));
+        virReportSystemError(errno,
+                             _("failed to create channel dir '%s'"),
+                             cfg->channelDir);
         goto error;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_interface.c b/src/qemu/qemu_interface.c
index 676bc896d6..e5f4710988 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_interface.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_interface.c
@@ -368,12 +368,12 @@ qemuCreateInBridgePortWithHelper(virQEMUDriverConfig *cfg,
         virCommandAbort(cmd);
 
         if (errbuf && *errbuf)
-            errstr = g_strdup_printf("\nstderr=%s", errbuf);
+            errstr = g_strdup_printf("stderr=%s", errbuf);
 
-        virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
-            _("%s: failed to communicate with bridge helper: %s%s"),
-            cmdstr, g_strerror(errno),
-            NULLSTR_EMPTY(errstr));
+        virReportSystemError(errno,
+                             _("%s: failed to communicate with bridge helper: %s"),
+                             cmdstr,
+                             NULLSTR_EMPTY(errstr));
         VIR_FREE(errstr);
         goto cleanup;
     }